Danbury goes for ninth straight State Open wrestling title

DANBURY -- For one team the State Open wrestling tournament is the drive for a ninth consecutive title. For other individual wrestlers it is a chance to be the best of the best.

"I was worried about guys saying they did well enough at the LL," said Danbury head coach
Ricky Shook
. "I changed the spectrum about reaching New England's. The older guys want to place in New England and the younger guys want to place at the Open. They know what this means and know that this is a team title. We wrestle all year for these two weeks."

For the Hatters this weekend is nothing new as they enter with the top ranking, as Class LL champions, and with depth in talent. With noted peeks and valleys in the season there have been doubters that have come and gone all season long.

Now deep into February few can doubt seven FCIAC champions and five Class LL champions. Coupled with the accolades is the fact that top ranked Danbury has already defeated three of the other top five teams including South Windsor, Warde, and Amity,

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"There is confidence going in but we have the same attitude that we don't want to be the teawm to break the tradition and lose the state," said Danbury captain

Tucker Schaefer
. "We practiced and prepped all season for these meets. We live for this and we want to get to the Open and win the Open. It is one of the team goals and one of my goals and hopefully I can achieve it."

Of the nine wrestlers, only Schaefer, who finished fourth last year, and Costanzo, who is the reigning New England Champion, received top seeds.

"Our schedule pays off and it doesn't matter where we are seeded," added Shook. "This week we have some nice draws and hopefully we can wrestle from there. Of the nine, two are tough and the rest have decent draws. I am hoping to get five to seven guys to New England and hopefully we can do that."

Besides Danbury's contingent, 15 other local wrestlers will take to the mats this afternoon at the

Of the group, two have received top seeds in their weight class.
Gavin Buckley
, of Immaculate, brings his Class S championship and 31-2 record to the 130-pound brackets and was rewarded for an excellent season with a top seed. Meanwhile,
Andrew Ford
, of Bethel, looks to improve on his 2008 runner-up performance at 152. Class M Champion,
Jesse Broderick
, of New Fairfield, is the third seed at 140.

Although not a realistic threat to take the top overall place, New Milford will send five wrestlers while Bethel adds four to the brackets. The Green Wave will have Conor Kirkegard, (103), Nick Amorando (119),
Luke Andrade
(145), Class L champion
Adam Lynch
(215), and
Austin Freeman
(285). In addition to Ford, Bethel sends SWC champions
Andrew Lischke
(125) and Brandon Lennox (171) alond with Christopher Valenti (285).